NHI National Awareness Day / Recruitment Seminar

Launch of NHI Brochure "Rewarding Career Opportunities for Nurses - Working in a Nursing Home"

National Recruitment Seminar focuses on the speciality that is Gerontological nursing

A new brochure that offers nurses a comprehensive insight into working in a nursing home was launched on August 23rd 2011, at the NHI national recruitment seminar that focussed on the speciality of gerontological nursing.

With nursing employment opportunities available within the nursing home sector, Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI), the representative organisation for private and voluntary nursing homes, has put together a brochure aimed at nursing graduates, nursing students, and experienced nurses seeking employment. Rewarding Career Opportunities for Nurses - Working in a Nursing Home discusses the challenging and rewarding career opportunities nursing homes offer nurses and confronts the myths associated with such employment. Information on skill requirements, the work involved, career opportunities, pay, nursing care within homes and the nursing home environment are all contained within the NHI brochure.

The brochure was launched at Nursing Homes: Rewarding Career Opportunities, a Nursing Homes Ireland national recruitment seminar that was held at the D4 Hotels (Ballsbridge Inn), Dublin on Tuesday August 23rd 2011. The event and brochure are a response to a recent NHI survey conducted among members, and revealed up to 500 nursing opportunities are immediately available within the private and voluntary nursing home sector.

Professor Brendan McCormack, President of the All Ireland Gerontological Nursing Association and Director of the Institute of Nursing Research, University of Ulster, was the keynote speaker at the seminar. He states: "Gerontological nursing is a speciality in its own right. To be a specialist in gerontological nursing requires the advancement of sets of knowledge, skills, competencies and expertise that are particular to meeting the complex health and social care needs of older people. Nurses who possess these attributes and qualities need to proudly present themselves as gerontological nurses, whilst also avoiding exclusivity. Gerontological nurses need to eb a resource to others, sharing knowledge and expertise, working across boundaries, demonstrating knowledge that can improve the health status of older people, and facilitating practice that can make life 'easier' for other nurses and care workers.

"The impact of an ageing population globally has a knock-on effect on nursing, resulting in increasing numbers of nurses working with older people. However, at the same time, due to the global recession, strategies to retain nurses in employment are critical to an effective workforce and high quality care services. The importance, therefore, of developing resources that enable clinical effectiveness, with continuous education and access to the 'best' evidence, can never be underestimated."

Rena O'Hara of Ryevale Nursing Home won the NHI Care Awards 2010 Nurse of the Year and spoke at the seminar. She states: "Working in a nursing home is both challenging and fulfilling. I am in the position of caring for older persons from diverse backgrounds with complex needs. I have autonomy to use my nursing skills and competencies to help the older person to reach their potential holistically in daily life, at the same time building therapeutic relationships with the resident and their families."

Tadhg Daly, Nursing Homes Ireland Chief Executive Officer, states: "Nursing Homes Ireland has developed the brochure and delivered the seminar to make nurses aware of the excellent opportunities nursing homes are offering them to pursue their career. Nursing graduates are finding their employment prospects greatly diminished and some are choosing to move overseas, while experienced nurses are being forced into early retirement from the public sector. We want nurses to be aware nursing homes are offering challenging and rewarding employment opportunities in their own local communities. The user-friendly brochure deals with negative perceptions nurses have of nursing homes and advises them of the high levels of skill and application such environments demand."

Rewarding Career Opportunities for Nurses - Working in a Nursing Home was circulated to universities, nursing homes and public facilities around the country. Copies of the brochure can be obtained by contacting the NHI office or you can download a copy by clicking on the link below.